Managing battery health and performance

There are user practices that can help maintain the traction battery's condition and performance over time. Some scenarios can lead to battery damage and should always be avoided.

Long-term parking

When leaving your car parked for longer than one month, the recommended battery level is 25-50%. Use or charge the car to reach the recommended level.

Regularly check the battery level and that charging is working.

 Tip

There is a separate section in this manual with more recommendations for long-term parking.

Parking in hot weather

 Important

Avoid exposing the car to extreme temperatures. Avoid leaving the car parked for longer than 24 hours if the temperature is at risk of reaching 55 °C (131 °F).

During warmer periods of time, you're recommended to plug in the car during parking. High temperatures cause battery damage, especially when the car is exposed to hot weather for prolonged periods. The car can actively cool the battery while it's parked, but that uses power. When you're returning to your parked car, the battery level could be noticeably lower than before. If the car is plugged in for charging, it can cool the battery without lowering the battery level and risking a flat battery.

In hot temperatures, it is recommended that you park in a shaded spot. Strong sunlight combined with high temperatures can lead to very high battery temperatures and excessive cooling needs.

Parking in cold weather

When the battery is cold, the car temporarily reduces battery performance until it's warmed up. Driving the car in a state of reduced performance doesn't harm the battery.

To avoid temporarily reduced performance from a cold battery, connect the car for charging and activate the car's preconditioning ahead of your trip. The car can then heat the battery without affecting performance and available range.

In temperatures below -30 °C (-22 °F), avoid leaving the car parked without charging for longer than 24 hours.